Local Territorial Organization

The territory is the most obvious physical embodiment of social relations. Territorial interactions determine neighborhood relations. And these latter are the primary basis of material production, of the economy outside of and prior to the market. Due to the universal, biologically determined, nature of territorial behavior, we must also consider human territorial relations as having grassroots, extra-social basis. Therefore, we almost involuntarily perceive the territorial structure of human societies as an invariant with roots too deep for social analysis. Or we consider it an archaic social institution. As such it has two components: invariable—archaic, and variable—determined by social and political factors. Herein I focus on analyzing the second, variable, part; however, I also constantly keep in mind the invariable component of the territorial structure. These two components create numerous territorial structures, which are based on only several permanent elements. The variance of territorial forms necessitates their typology. The typology of territories is based on the type of local communities distinguished by the degree of spatial isolation and the manner of their emergence and development. I am considering six territorial structures of provincial societies. Ultimately, they are reduced to four types of territories, which differ in all basic characteristics. These four territorial types are: (1) territories of communities existing in spatial isolation and not affected by government impact; (2) territories of communities, which are not isolated, but are developing without significant coercive government impact; (3) territories of communities formed coercively but with an inadequately developed transport infrastructure; (4) territories of communities formed coercively with a well-developed infrastructure due to their location on transport thoroughfares.